TWO TEAMS vying for a top two finish face having to manage a key player's knee complaint as the run to September heats up.  

Geelong will need to look after Steven Motlop's aggravated right patella tendon while the Sydney Swans will have to keep Lance Franklin's problematic knee under control ahead of the finals.

Motlop aggravated his right knee when he fell awkwardly in the third quarter of the Cats' win over North Melbourne.

This is the same knee he had surgery on in London in the pre-season, which saw him start his year in round seven.

This injury was simply an aggravation of tendon pain in the front of the knee but it may limit Motlop with his training this week, and Geelong will be cautious before selecting him to face Fremantle on Saturday if his knee does not settle.

Like Motlop, Franklin will have to manage his knee for the rest of the season after missing last week with further aggravation of his right patella tendon.

This is the same knee he has had occasional problems with since the 2011 qualifying final hyperextension injury.

He has already missed round seven this season with a similar flare up (tendon and bursitis) and will need to train fully this week without aggravation of the soreness.

At this stage, he is a 70-30 chance to play against Port Adelaide.

However, Dan Hannebery is likely to return for the Swans after missing seven weeks following his significant right ankle injury.

Fremantle is likely to be without its captain, with Matthew Pavlich needing to pass concussion assessment following his heavy accidental hit from Carlton's Nick Graham in last Thursday's game.

Given the severity of the hit, Freo is more likely to rest Pavlich from Saturday's clash with Geelong to ensure he is right to train for round 21 against Hawthorn.

However, he will be keen to play and if he passes all concussion testing, and trains without symptoms recurring, then he could be selected.

Tendai Mzungu injured his left hamstring in the second quarter and although he attempted to return briefly in the final quarter, he was clearly limited and scans have revealed a low-grade strain.

The Dockers are optimistic he will only miss 2-3 weeks, which would be a good result given most hamstrings do take longer.

Hawthorn forward Jack Gunston suffered a low-grade medial strain in his right knee when it was hit on the lateral side by Bulldog Jack Macrae on Sunday.

He escaped serious damage in the last-quarter incident but scans have revealed the sprain, which the club is hopeful will only see him miss 2-3 weeks.

This is below the average for most knee medial ligaments but the club has reported Gunston's is minor in severity.

The Hawks should regain Sam Mitchell, who was a late withdrawal last week with a flu-like respiratory illness.

With the benefit of the week off and a light week at training, he should be available.

However, Isaac Smith also missed with tightness in his calf and the Hawks will be conservative with his training this week in order to avoid a further setback with a soft tissue strain.

If there is any doubt, he will miss the their clash with Melbourne on Saturday.

Adelaide defender Daniel Talia sustained a heavy concussion when he was hit by the knee of Eagle Josh Kennedy.

He was subbed out of the Crows' loss, and despite having some co-existing left knee soreness, it is the concussion that will see him most likely miss this week against the Brisbane Lions.

Former Carlton captain Chris Judd sustained a left ankle injury when Aaron Sandilands fell on the outside of his lower leg last Thursday night.

He was able to return to the game with some pain relief and strapping but was clearly limited in his mobility.

At this stage, Carlton is optimistic he might train late in the week but he would be subject to rigorous fitness testing before being selected to play against Gold Coast on Saturday.

Unfortunately, Lachie Henderson won't play again this year after fracturing his right orbit and frontal sinus bones after colliding with the head of Freo's Michael Barlow.

The incident happened with only 24 seconds left in the game but he requires surgery and will now look forward to the 2015 pre-season.

David Swallow has been experiencing left calf and Achilles pain but played out Gold Coast's win over St Kilda with some discomfort on Saturday night.

He will be having physiotherapy during the week and remains in some doubt to play this weekend.

And, Greater Western Sydney defender Josh Hunt could also be done for the season with a suspected left hip flexor strain he sustained against Richmond.

The club will know more later in the week but expect him to miss against North Melbourne.